iRamble about iStuff (Arduino/CoCo stuff now at www.subethasoftware.com)

More cheers for Otterbox, and jeers for Drobo

11/17/2015 Update: Eden, an inside sales person at Drobo, seems to have gotten the issue with orders being stuck “unfulfilled” fixed. I wonder if this was just happening to me, or to everyone getting shipments from Drobo? Also, added link to “full review”.

As previously mentioned, Otterbox makes great protective cases for phones and tablets. They also have outstanding customer service and warranty support. Recently, I damaged my iPad Otterbox Defender stand and wanted to get a replacement. Otterbox currently does not sell one for my model iPad so I had to contact them to ask how I could get one. A few e-mail exchanges later and I was told to call in on Monday to pay a $2.99 shipping charge and they’d send me a replacement. Amazingly enough, even with the damage being entirely my fault, they still wanted to send me a replacement at no cost (other than shipping). Everyone I dealt with, e-mail or voice, was incredibly nice and even apologetic over the process. Beyond Disney and Apple, I don’t think I have ever encountered this level of customer service. Way to go, Otterbox.

Meanwhile, things are not going quite as well with Data Robotics, creators of the Drobo backup devices. I have had two of those units which I purchased many years ago. Both are sold old they have been end-of-lifed by Data Robotics. Due to various problems which I will cover in a future article, I am now waiting for a replacement unit to arrive. The order was entered last Monday, then still showed “unfulfilled” in their tracking system three days later. Has Amazon spoiled us so much that we now actually expect a company to ship same or next day for online orders? I had to contact them to ask what was up, and was given a tracking number. Apparently they did ship the next day, but the system didn’t show that.

One week later, and the item is still not here. Actually, FedEx tried to deliver it on Friday, but I work days so I was unable to sign for the package. Due to how Data Robotics ships, I am unable to have the shipment “held for pickup” at the FedEx centers. Instead, I can only have someone sign for it. I am unable to do this, so apparently I am unable to receive packages from Data Robotics… I can’t imagine why they don’t allow me to go to a FedEx office and show my ID there to pick up a package, but would allow a stranger to sign for it at my address.

Hopefully I will eventually be able to get this shipment.

UPDATE: Thanks to the wonderful Cindy at FedEx Ground in Grimes, Iowa, I was able to pick up my Drobo from them on Friday night. She says I should have been able to do that anyway, though the FedEx online system would not let me redirect, and a rep at 800-GO-FEDEX also said I could not due to shipper restrictions. I don’t really care who was right as long as I can get my package 😉

Eventually, my Drobo will finish rebuilding (it estimated as much as 440+ hours at one point) and I can move the drives in to this new unit for a full review.